Cariñena; Cariñena DO

[kah-ree-NYEH-nah] 1. A popular red grape (see carignan). 2. A do encompassing the town of Cariñena in northern Spain's Aragón region. It's the region's largest DO with about 45,000 vineyard acres. It is also the oldest, having been established as a demarcated zone in 1932. The Cariñena DO produces large quantities of red and rosé wine made primarily from Garnacha Tinta (grenache), tempranillo and Cariñena (carignan). The Cariñena grape, which is also called Mazuelo, is thought to have originated in this region but is now more widely planted in Spain's navarra and rioja DOs and in southern France. As part of a campaign to increase the quality of their wines, Cariñena growers are being encouraged to plant more Tempranillo, Monastrell (mourvèdre), and even cabernet sauvignon an approved variety. White wines here are made from Viura (macabeo), Garnacha Blanc (grenache), parellada, and Moscatel Romano (muscat). Because of this region's dry, hot weather, the grapes ripen quickly, which results in high-alcohol wines. Although the minimum alcohol content for this DO was lowered from 14 to 12 percent, the maximum is still 18 percent. Area cooperatives which dominate the production, include Covinca Cooperativa, San José Cooperativa, and San Valero Cooperativa.